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Aw, you're gonna make me cry. 
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Haven't seen 12 Angry Men. I do have the film lying around, but I do plan on getting around to it. Also, I think I have the remake somewhere at home?
The Shining comes into good, but not great territory for me. Although there's a little bit over the top to Jack's performance, it never seems too cartoonish. The slow build of a man starting to succumb to the pressures of his assignment while dealing with his writer's block and his recovering alcoholism does have a good bit to deal with some solid writing and direction from Kubrick. Some nice shots (the elevators, the twins on the floor, the discussions with the bartender) do make this a solid thriller/horror film. And that last shot is eerie in a good way.
If anything, I'd argue that maybe Shelley Duvall is too mousy, too weak as the mother (although maybe Kubrick's direction had something to do with that as well?). And there's some clashes in tone between the slow build psychological horror they were going for and some of the over the top images and visuals they throw out.
Have seen some of the remake mini-series that Stephen King is more fond of and outside of DeMornay's character being more stronger willed, the film never succeeded in its argument that a closer take on the King book was better than the original (although Steven Weber may be to blame for that as well).
The Shining comes into good, but not great territory for me. Although there's a little bit over the top to Jack's performance, it never seems too cartoonish. The slow build of a man starting to succumb to the pressures of his assignment while dealing with his writer's block and his recovering alcoholism does have a good bit to deal with some solid writing and direction from Kubrick. Some nice shots (the elevators, the twins on the floor, the discussions with the bartender) do make this a solid thriller/horror film. And that last shot is eerie in a good way.
If anything, I'd argue that maybe Shelley Duvall is too mousy, too weak as the mother (although maybe Kubrick's direction had something to do with that as well?). And there's some clashes in tone between the slow build psychological horror they were going for and some of the over the top images and visuals they throw out.
Have seen some of the remake mini-series that Stephen King is more fond of and outside of DeMornay's character being more stronger willed, the film never succeeded in its argument that a closer take on the King book was better than the original (although Steven Weber may be to blame for that as well).
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I'm also shocked to see such a low grade for Come and See. I'd like to know what "movie suffers from logical contradiction in they way it delivers its message" means.
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I'm also shocked to see such a low grade for Come and See. I'd like to know what "movie suffers from logical contradiction in they way it delivers its message" means.
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I also never understood the pretentious argument for {I]The Tree of Life[/i]. The backbone for understanding pretty much everything which goes on in the film can be found in the first five minutes with the quote from the Book of Job and the nature v. grace monologue.
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I found Tree of Life to be boring-pretensions film making from a director who can't reel in his every last thought. It's a rip off of the idea behind Tarkovsky's Solaris, so it's not even an original idea.
For what it's worth, I think there's two main points the film is making.
WARNING: spoilers below
The aforementioned Book of Job quote is reflected largely in the opening act with the mother's breakdown after learning of her son's death and the cosmos sequence and also with the entire ending sequence. I think the points of these sequences are that God is telling the characters that there's so much to the world they don't understand and that he has a plan for them once they die, allowing for them to make peace with themselves (which is also the significance of this quote in the actual Book of Job). The cosmos sequence or the ending are Job-like answers to the mother's questions on why God would kill her son, while the final act shows God reaching out to Jack and showing that he has a plan for him when he dies, which was in response to how he was adrift as an adult due to his experiences as a child.
As for the nature v. grace monologue, I think that both those attitudes are reflected in Jack's parents. His mother embodies grace since she's gentle around Jack and his brothers while his father is stern and sometimes aggressive towards his family. As Jack grew older and as his father's behavior continued, Jack eventually embodied nature while growing up, getting into conflict with his parents, his brothers and friends, and with those around him. As was stated in the opening, "They taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end". That Jack embodied the way of nature though was why he was dejected later in the film.
As for the nature v. grace monologue, I think that both those attitudes are reflected in Jack's parents. His mother embodies grace since she's gentle around Jack and his brothers while his father is stern and sometimes aggressive towards his family. As Jack grew older and as his father's behavior continued, Jack eventually embodied nature while growing up, getting into conflict with his parents, his brothers and friends, and with those around him. As was stated in the opening, "They taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end". That Jack embodied the way of nature though was why he was dejected later in the film.
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TL; DR: On the third day of deliberations, with me having been the lone juror calling for a guilty verdict, one by one the other eleven folks came around to my way of thinking. It was grueling. But I stood my ground, stayed calm, and answered question after question about my reasoning.
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"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel
"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel
"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear
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...[Tree of Life]...I don't think the word pretentious is defined by works of art having similar themes to prior works of art, if what you're describing is the case with Malick's film....
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So, we're into the top 20, starting tomorrow.
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
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A hint to that effect: there are still a couple of films yet to show which weren't even on the last list...
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To be completely honest, I'm using 'pretentious' because I strongly disliked The Tree of Life. Many people who pan a film will do so as if their opinion is some universal truth...but me? I realize my opinion of Tree of Life as pretentious, is solely based on the fact that: I was bored to tears by it...and I'm not open to it's message. I don't have a problem with it's message but it holds no meaning for me. Had the film spoken to my heart then I'd probably call it sublime cinema.
I'm just highly critical of the word pretentious, especially when it's used to criticize any weird, surreal, or strange film. Oftentimes, it just boils down to "It was kind of weird and I don't know what to make of it, so the film sucks". Yes, a film can be pretentious, but it's rarely ever used properly.
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So, we're into the top 20, starting tomorrow.
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
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I do think Departed and Lebowski are out
I'm still kicking myself for guessing Fight Club for highest rated not to make it because I was going with that or Departed.
I'm still kicking myself for guessing Fight Club for highest rated not to make it because I was going with that or Departed.
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I also don't think Dark Knight. Holden could be right about Apocalypse. I didn't think it would miss but thought it would have shown by now.
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Probably all but one of the remaining films on my ballot are out.
The Dark Knight and Jaws are probably out.
The Dark Knight and Jaws are probably out.
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So, we're into the top 20, starting tomorrow.
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
Seems like a good time to go over what could be left and which films people think are going to miss the cut. Anyone wanna take some guesses? Too many left to guess order or anything (we'll save that for the top 10 or five or whatever), but who wants to guess which films will miss out?
I think the brawl for #1 will be between these 5 Movies,
Dark Knight
LOTR Fellowship
Goodfellas
The Shawshank Redemption
Raiders of the Lost Ark
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Here is 18 from the last that probably make it in my opinion:
Godfather
Pulp Fiction
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Taxi Driver
Jaws
Shawshank Redemption
Apocalypse Now
Goodfellas
2001
Casablanca
Chinatown
Blade Runner
Citizen Kane
Fellowship LOTR
Vertigo
Fargo
Dr Strangelove
Lawrence Of Arabia
That leaves two spots open and I omitted Departed and Lebowski
Godfather
Pulp Fiction
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Taxi Driver
Jaws
Shawshank Redemption
Apocalypse Now
Goodfellas
2001
Casablanca
Chinatown
Blade Runner
Citizen Kane
Fellowship LOTR
Vertigo
Fargo
Dr Strangelove
Lawrence Of Arabia
That leaves two spots open and I omitted Departed and Lebowski
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A hint to that effect: there are still a couple of films yet to show which weren't even on the last list...
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